Katherine Parkinson (born March 9, 1978) is an English actress. She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy series The IT Crowd as Jen Barber, for which she received a British Comedy Best TV Actress Award in 2009 and 2014, and was nominated twice for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance, winning in 2014. Parkinson studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and has appeared on stage in the plays The Seagull (2007), Cock (2009), and Home, I'm Darling (2018), for which she was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play. Parkinson was also a main cast member of the series Doc Martin for three series (2005–2009). She co-starred in all three series of Humans, a science-fiction drama on AMC/Channel 4, which aired from 2015 until 2018. She has also appeared in the films The Boat That Rocked (2009) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018).

Filmography

• 2025Dating Mark Silcox — Claire
• 2025Here We Go: Our New Year’s Fireworks Fantasaganza — Rachel Jessop
• Rivals — Lizzie Vereker
• 2024That Christmas — Mrs. Forrest (voice)
• 2023Here We Go: Mum's Classic Family Christmas — Rachel Jessop
• Significant Other — Anna
• Here We Go — Rachel Jessop
• 2022National Theatre Live: Much Ado About Nothing — Beatrice
• 2022The Nan Movie — Nell
• 2021Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break — Clemmie
• 2021Sitting — Mary, Writer
• Spreadsheet — Lauren
• Hitmen — Kat Gaitskill
• 2020How to Fake a War — Kate
• 2020Radioactive — Jeanne Langevin
• Defending the Guilty — Caroline
• 2018Guitar Man — Ms. Elanor
• Hang Ups — Karen Muller
• 2018The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society — Isola Pribby
• Urban Myths — Ange
• Humans — Laura Hawkins
• The Kennedys — Brenda Kennedy
• Duck Quacks Don't Echo
• In the Club — Kim
• Inside No. 9 — Rebecca, Self
• 2014Off the Page: Britain Isn't Eating — Marion/Sarah
• 2014Sardines — Rebecca
• The Honourable Woman — Rachel Stein
• The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff — Conceptiva
• 2011Coma Girl — Pip
• 2010Cooked — (voice)
• Sherlock — Kitty Riley
• The Great Outdoors — Sophie
• Whites — Caroline
• Psychoville
• 2009St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold — Physics Teacher
• 2009The Boat That Rocked — Felicity
• The Old Guys — Amber
• 2008Easy Virtue — Marion Whittaker
• 2008How to Lose Friends & Alienate People — PR Woman
• 2008The Secret Policeman's Ball 2008
• 2007Christmas at the Riviera — Vanessa
• Fear, Stress & Anger — Gemma
• 2007Hard to Swallow — Katie
• Katy Brand's Big Ass Show — Various
• The IT Crowd — Jen Barber
• 2005Ahead of the Class — Vicky Foley
• Extras — Woman in queue
• Doc Martin — Pauline Lamb
• Casualty — Helen Gibbons
• Horizon — Narrator
• The Bride of Vernon — Mary Mae
• The Dream Lands — Antonia

Appearances as themselves (15)

• Live from the Lycett Arms — Self / Pub Manager
• Rivals: The Official Podcast — Self
• LOL: Last One Laughing UK — Self
• 2024Inside No. 9: The Party's Over — Self
• Taskmaster — Self
• Travel Man: 48 Hours in... — Self - Guest
• Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled — Self
• 2014The IT Crowd Manual — Self - Jen Barber
• 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown — Self
• Crackanory — Self
• Would I Lie to You? — Self, Self - Panellist
• Great British Menu — Self - Guest Judge
• Room 101 — Self
• Have I Got News for You — Self - Hostess
• Have I Got a Bit More News for You — Self - Presenter